With Washington leaning toward bilateral diplomacy, Brussels risks becoming an irrelevant – and obstructive – actor
The recent conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has clarified the emerging diplomatic structure around Ukraine. What we are witnessing resembles the first reading of a play – the distribution of roles in what may become the next act of the conflict’s evolution.
Trump is gradually aligning with Russia’s proposed framework: direct dialogue...
According to the wisdom of the Thirty-Six Chinese Stratagems, a leader can be a winner in politics, war and diplomatic struggles if he possesses high scores in nine stratagem capabilities
According to the wisdom of the Thirty-Six Chinese Stratagems, a leader can be a winner in politics, war and diplomatic struggles if he possesses high scores in nine stratagem capabilities. The following is an assessment of the capabilities of both Putin and Trump as leaders using the traditional Chinese stratagems...
... fact a "garden"; fencing it off from the outside world with discriminatory legislation was the main task of its politicians for decades. This fencing was, of course, not complete enough. Europe maintained very intensive economic ties with the USA and provided American companies with the opportunity to be actively present in the structure of European enterprises. The European Union maintained a greater than necessary degree of openness to Chinese partners, although here the rules were much ...
... worldwide, including the U.S., to diversify supply chains and bolster resilience. Saudi Arabia's pending membership and the growing partner network (Algeria, Nigeria, and beyond) signal BRICS openness to inclusive growth, not exclusionary dominance.
For the USA, embracing this bloc means amplifying its global reach, not relinquishing it—trading with a powerhouse that thrives on entrepreneurial mysticism. The five-step mandate—digitizing SMEs, upskilling entrepreneurs, incentivizing innovation, fostering ...
The Trump administration will be no more successful in breaking the China-Russia partnership than its predecessor was two years ago
The recent World War II Victory Day celebration in Moscow attracted 27 heads of state as well as numerous prominent politicians and opinion-makers from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Nevertheless, Chinese President Xi Jinping was a very special guest at this event and his presence inevitably garnered a lion's share of public attention...
The current policy of the White House reflects the U.S.’s natural ambition to retain its leadership in the world economy
The U.S. trade deficit in 2024 rose to a record $1.2 trillion. The White House
attributes
this alarming imbalance to asymmetries in trade barriers between the United States and its foreign economic partners. For instance, the U.S. collects a 2.5% tariff on passenger car imports, while the EU charges 10%, India 70% and China 15%. On top of that, non-tariff barriers hinder U.S...
Today we are only witnessing the beginning of large-scale changes in US tariff policy
US trade policy has become increasingly securitized, intertwining economic objectives with national security priorities—from revitalizing domestic industry to combating drug trafficking. This approach is being pursued with a sense of urgency, often overlapping with sanctions measures. However, conflating tariffs with sanctions would be premature; unlike trade policy tools, sanctions remain primarily instruments...
The day is not far off when the category of international order itself will finally lose its former meaning
The fact is that the changing balance of power on a global scale and the inability of previous leaders to maintain their positions causes a fundamental restructuring of the international order. It has become a common opinion in recent years. It is difficult to argue with its validity: first of all, because the power base has really changed – there is no longer a group of countries in the...
President Xi Jinping's official visit to Moscow symbolizes not only the stability of Sino-Russian relations, but also their development and enhancement
Chinese President Xi Jinping will come to Moscow on May 9, 2025, to attend the Victory Day parade marking 80 years since the end of World War II in Europe. On top of participating to this highly visible event, he is scheduled to have in-depth consultations with his Russia’s peer Vladimir Putin on a broad range of issues including both various dimensions...
On May 6, 2025, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Grandview Institution (Beijing, China) organised an expert discussion “Prospects for the development of Sino-Russian relations in the context of Trump 2.0”
On May 6, 2025, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Grandview Institution (Beijing, China) organised an expert discussion “Prospects for the development of Sino-Russian relations in the context of Trump 2.0”.
During the event, Russian and Chinese experts...
